Tick Tock Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children of all ages happily enter this welcoming and friendly playgroup and separate from their parents with ease. Babies readily go to their special adult, showing they have formed positive bonds with them. Older children show they are secure and know the routines as they independently put away their coats and bags.

Staff welcome the children, and they are quick to seek out their friends and settle to the activities, showing they are settled and ready to play and learn.The management team has implemented a curriculum that is based on children's interests and needs overall. It is clear what it wants the children to learn and t...he skills they need as they move through the playgroup and on to school.

The management team has used additional funding to help close any emerging gaps in children's development and offer them a range of experiences effectively. Children make good progress in relation to their various starting points. Staff encourage children's independence effectively.

Babies are helped to learn to feed themselves. Toddlers use cutlery to eat, help themselves to their drinks and learn how to put their coats on. Older children take themselves to the toilet or potty and wash their hands afterwards.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

The management team has made significant improvements since the last inspection. Risk assessments are effective, and staff check the environment is free from hazards. Staff have embedded a routine that has helped children learn the boundaries and reduced unwanted behaviour, creating a calmer environment.

The curriculum has greatly improved, and children make good progress. However, at times, staff do not provide enough challenge to extend and deepen children's thinking and learning further.Staff provide a range of activities and outings for children to increase the experiences they receive.

Staff take children to the park, using this opportunity to help children learn about road safety and have better physical challenges on the large equipment. Children visit the library for story and rhyme time, where they learn about their local community and have further support for their language development.Children enjoy playing outside and have opportunities to develop their physical skills.

Staff demonstrate to them how to spin the hoops, throw the balls and steer the tricycles, for example. However, there is less focus on how they support children's individual next steps in the outdoor environment to extend children's physical skills further.Children's behaviour is good.

Older children are becoming confident at resolving minor disputes with staff's support. When a child wants a toy another child has, staff encourage them to think about how they might achieve this. They remember that they can use the sand timer and ask to have their turn when the sand has poured through.

This shows that children are learning to wait and take their turn.The management team has reflected on practice and made improvements that have benefited the children. Children now stay in their base rooms for lunch and snack time, meaning they are not disrupted with the transition.

This has resulted in calmer and more sociable mealtimes.Parents report their children are happy to come to the nursery and have settled well. They say they are pleased with the progress their children are making and appreciate the good communication with staff and the support they receive.

Parents know what their children are learning and are supported to continue this at home, such as through taking home books and story sacks to share with their children.Staff provide a language-rich environment that supports children's communication effectively. They provide a narrative to young children as they play, engage them in stories and songs and encourage older children to have conversations.

Staff have attended training that has had a positive impact on the support they seek for children where any possible gaps in their development are identified. Staff are more confident in knowing what information they need prior to making any referrals to outside agencies and in how they work with parents to achieve this. Staff report they feel valued by the management team and that they have regular checks on their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help staff use effective strategies to extend and deepen children's thinking and learning focus more precisely on sequencing the programme for physical development to help children learn key skills they need to develop.